St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-24
CL|QUES AND RINGS.
Dissenting Knights Of Labor
Issue an Address to Their
Brethren,
Charging the Present Officers
With Conspiracy Against
the Order,
And Asserting That the Hour
Has Come to Declare In
dependence.
Laboring Men to Meet at ST..
Louis to Organize a
Party.

CHICAGO, Oct. 23.-The dissenters
from the action taken at the Minneapo-
lis convention have declared open war
with the executive board or the Knights
of Labor and have issued their declara-
ton of independence. On returning
from the convention about thiIty-five
delegates, representing thirteen states,
stopped in Chicago and determined to
bring about reorganization of the or
der. They elected a provisional COM
mittee of five members, of which
Charles F. Zeib was made secretary. A
long communication was drafted at Sec
retary Zeib'S office to-day and will be
forwarded tomorrow in circular form to
the Knights of Labor all over the
country. The following is the commu-
nication:
CIRCULAR NO. l.
Headquarters Provisional Committee,
Charles F. Zeib, Secretary, $50 East Wash
ington Street, Chicago, Oct. %, 1SS7.-To
the Rank and File of the Order of the
Knights of Labor: Indignant at the usurpa-
ton of power and the gross violation of the
laws of our order by those high in authority,
disguised with those whose loyalty to the
present ring has been gained by the pickings
incensed at the fawning sycOphants who
crawl on their knees in slavish submission to
the most corrupt, the most hypocritical, the
most autocratic and tyrannical clique that
has ever controlled any labor organization,
we therefore affirm the motto of
our order that when bad men combine,
the good must associate. else they will
fall, one by one, an implied sacrifice in a
contemplate struggle" We assert the hour
has come when. as honest men and women,
we declare ourselves independent of those
who have abused the confidence reposed in
them by our order. Our duty to the working
men and women demands that we at once
reorganiZe the order of the Knights of Labor
on basis which will secure the autonomy of
the trades and the sovereignty of the dis
tricts i'll all pertaining to their trade and
local affairs ana to prevent it from being
used in the future as machine to fill the
Golfers of designing and INSCRIPTIONS men,
as it is by those now in power. We affirm
the following to be the reasons that have
compelled this serious action on our part:
First-The general Office has become lux
urious haunt for men whose chief aim is to
benefit self, pecuniarily and otherwise and
is no longer the Jerusalem of the humble
and honest knight.
ESecond-There has heen for more than a
year beginning prior to the Richmond ses-
sion) an understanding which, for lack of a
better word. we will call q conspiracy for
the purpose of holding the salaried positions,
elective and appointive, in and under the
general assembly.
Third-This conspiracy has used the secret
channels and the funds of the order to man
ufacture sentiment for certain members and
against others. Certain persons, sometimes
called general lecturers" general organ
iZers,'' general instructors and general
many other things have been raid eXtrava-
giant sums, both as wages and expenses, when
their chief work was to fix certain dis
tricts The lobbyists of railroad corpora
tions would turn green with envy did they
know the superlative excellence attained by
these blood-suckers of the Knights of Labor
Fourth-OrganiZers commissions have
been refused to members who were known to
disagree with the methods of the ring, though
the applications were Endorsed by the D. A.
to which applicant belonged, and commits
sions have been recalled because of the re-
fusal of the holders to fall down and worship
the powers that be.
Fffth-District and local assemblies have
been suspended or expelled and deprived of
voice in the general assembly because they
were known as opponents to the policy of the
cOnSpiratOrS.
Sixth-Conspiracies have been Matched
against dissenting members by the aid of
corrupt tools in the D. y. or local assemblies
or both of such members.
Seventh-The records of the general Office
have been fixed and doctored so as to rule
out or admit. the case might be, general
assembly representatives.
Eighth-Men have been admitted as dele
gates to the general assembly who clearly
had no constitutional right to seats, while
others have been refused upon technicalities
contrary to precedent and established Gus
tom. In all cases the test was for or against
the ring.
Ninth (A). Many thousands of dollars of
the orders funds have been illegally expend-
ed, frequently against the earnest protests of
honest and law-abiding members. OBJ. EX-
travagant hotel bills contracted by the fami-
lies of general officers have been paid out of
the orders funds, as have family laundry and
bar bills (C). Funds have been donated and
loaned to officers and their friends for their
al OFF
ganiZers and lecturers have not only been
paid liberal salaries and allowed heavy ex-
penses from the general treasury, but have
charged additional sums to the locals and
districts.
Tenth-Honest men devoted to the cause of
labor have been made the scapegoats of the
blundering high officials and driven in dis
grace from the movement
Eleventh-Efforts made by assemblies to
better their condition have been strangled
by the rIng. it is charity to say for no meaner
reason than in response to the clamor of the
common enemy of labor.
Twelvefth-The boycott has been,used to in.
jure the labor press, union establishments
and the products of Knights of Labor and
union labor for the sole purpose of down
ing working men and women who could
not be used by the conspirators.
Thirteenth-PerSonS who were not mem
bers of the order have been provided, fol
personal reasons, with lucrative positions in
the general office.
Fourteenth-The constitution has been al
tered in an illegal manner. 1t has been tam
pered with and measures inimical to the in.
terests of the order at large have been rail
roaded into what is called law
Fifteenth War has been waged by the ad
ministration ring against trades unions and
trades districts. The motto of the ring has
been 'down with trades districts; eXterrni
nate the trades unlons.' This in spite of our
obligation ito extend helping hand to all
branches of honorable toll
SYSTEMATICALLY every important strike
or lockout in which the general officers in
terfered was lost.
Seventeenth-As a result ofithis blundering
wlshy -washy, incompetent and stupidity arbi
trary policy, the membership of the order has
decreased 217, ,924 members i'll one year.
Eighteenth-In spite of the decrease OF
membership, they have increased the annual
expenditures of the general officers to half q
million dollars.
Nineteenth-There was no itemized ac
count of receipts and expenditures issued
either quarterly, as had formerly been the
custom, or to the general assembly.
Twentieth-In the general assembly argIl-
ments were met by buncomb; gag law was
reduced to a system by the use of the previ-
Gus question; outrageous decisions rendered
appeals and protests ignored, all for the pur-
pose of covering up the rascality of those in
power.
All local and district assemblies in accord
with the above declaration or desiring infor.
nation will please address
CHARLES F. ZEIB,
Secretary of the Provisional Committee 100
East Washington street.